Competition
by soitendsandbegins
Summary: A new serial killer has their sights set on Will Graham. However, Dr. Lecter isn't so willing to share. Will/Hannibal.
1. Introduction

**A/N:** What if a lady serial killer was thrown into the mix? Think of the jealousy, think of the gore. Swiggity swag the nightmare stag is going down.

**Introduction: Greetings**

Will Graham stared at the crime scene. Or as he liked to call it a painting. This particular painting had a very raw take on Alice in Wonderland, if he guessed he would say that he was staring at the scene of Alice sitting down for tea with the March Hare.

There were four bodies, one teen and three men. All had been dressed in proper renaissance wear as suggested of Wonderland and everybody had a part to play. The teen, a young woman, sat lifeless at the head of the table, hair done in an array of curls and bangs that reached down beyond her nose. The blood dripped down from her eyes, she no longer had them, they had been placed in the teacup she supposedly drank from.

The men were a different story. The one who played the March Hare lacked the top half of his skull, his brain missing. The Mad Hatter's chest had been ripped open, not with a tool but bare hands and his heart had been taken, cut out with the greatest of care. The dormouse, he was a sad tale, he had been ground up, placed into a teapot with only his hand left to hold up the teapot as a centerpiece.

Will didn't want to look but he had to. Had to understand why and how. His heart sped up, his pulse began to ring in his ears, his breathing became heavier, and he closed his eyes. His body tensed as he felt time rewinding around him and when he opened them again, the room was empty with only a table to give it life.

He heard footsteps, not sure if it was a woman or man, they walked barefoot, not to slow and not to fast. There was no hurry, never a sense of urgency, you miss details when you worry about the ticking of the clock. The bodies were already dressed in proper clothing, victims alive, but unconscious, barely breathing, dragged in on a cart. They had been positioned first, feet stapled to the ground so they wouldn't move, screams filling the room as eyes were taking out, chests were ripped open.

However, that wasn't the hard part, the details were the most time consuming. The hair had to be curled and cut, the silverware collected, and napkins folded. This wasn't a chore, it was nothing but fun, a way to kill time, to tell a story, to honor the imagination of Alice in Wonderland.

"We won't see another one like this," Will said. Jack looked back at him, taking a step away from the crime scene as evidence was collected.

"This was a one time thing then?" Jack asked.

"No, this was a way to show honor to the story of Alice, wonder in it's rawest form. This story will not be repeated but there will be others to tell, others to honor. Man or woman they are highly intelligent, sadistic, and bored. Hence the reason for the story," Will answered.

"I'm not one for stories." As Jack told them where to take evidence and such, Will took a step forward. Something had caught his eye, he grabbed a pair of gloves from the top of one of the silver work cases and opened an evidence bag. He looked inside one of the teacups where a small origami crane had been carefully placed. Opening it there was a note written in dried blood: "Hello."

* * *

><p>Hannibal looked at his watch there were only a few minutes before his next appointment would show, he took the time to clean up a bit. Not that he needed to, but a book out of place somehow grated on his nerves. Glancing at his watch again he looked down, it was time to open the door.<p>

When he did, he was surprised to find that no one was there. He hated tardiness, he found it quite rude. Turning around to walk inside and was greeted by a woman, who sat in one of his chairs like she had been there from the start.

"Rather quiet," he said.

"Yes, I get a lot of complaints about that. Habitual really, sorry for the surprise. I believe you're owed an introduction," she smiled. She was a bit on the tall side and skinny, but her looks were good at hiding her inner strength. Hannibal could see her muscles and how strong they were. She smelled like cedar and books.

"No need, I have your paperwork," Hannibal chuckled. He sat directly across from her, neither of them said a single word. Hannibal tilted his head, she was maybe a year or two younger than he was, she was a beautiful shade of golden bronze but was somehow pale. Despite her skin tone her eyes were a mixture of greens and oranges and her hair was straight jet black, it had been thrown over her shoulder but it still looked organized, ending at her waist.

There was something else inside of her, something similar to him but much more grounded in the world of theatrics and art. Maybe she would be fun to pass time with, when he wasn't passing it with Will Graham.

"May I ask the reason you're seeking a psychiatrist? Most women prefer other women," Hannibal said.

"They do don't they? Weaklings really, fear of exploration by the other sex. You can call my name you know, it's not taboo. Unless I've scared you in some way?"

"Don't be silly, Miss Minda. Still haven't answered my question, frightened?" The woman laughed, the redirection of sentiment was funny.

"You may call me Minda and to answer you, I don't need therapy. You're a hard man to get to so I had to fake a few compulsions, read about you in an article ten or so years ago had to meet you. Instead of therapy, I just want to talk and you can make any conclusions you want about me, Dr. Lecter."

"Talking is why you're here, why would you fake a compulsion just to see me?"

"The same reason you fake being just a intelligent psychiatrist, when we both know, that's not quite true. It's a half lie, like a double agent."

"Did you come here to try and catch me then?"

"Wouldn't dream of it, I like your work, I hope you might like mine. However, there is something you have that I don't which I'm quite envious of."

"And what is that?"

"Will Graham, give him to me."

"No."

"Shall we play a game then?"

"Changing the subject?"

"It's the same but the conditions are different, I want Will Graham. I get bored painting sometimes and he just seems like so much fun to play with."

"He's not a toy."

"Pot calling the kettle black don't you think? You get a bit possessive over Will Graham. You want him, want him to suffer, want him to scream and cry and to beg, but you want his pain and hatred. Are you grooming Will Graham or cornering him so you can rip off his wings?"

"Minda, who are you?"

"I'm your competition. Sorry to keep this session short, I hope we can talk again Dr. Lecter. I like the way that sounds, rolls of the tongue. I hope you read about my hello present to you, thought you might enjoy it. This is going to be one hell of a game, don't you think?"

"And if I don't want to play?"

"Dr. Lecter, don't insult me. If you hated the idea so badly, then why are you trying your best to hide your smile?" She was right, at the very mention the conversation turned into killing and Will he couldn't help but smile. She wasn't a friend but certainly someone he could share his other life with and if he grew tired of her, he could kill her easily. Minda raised an eyebrow, as if she could sense the thought. "I can't wait for our next session."

"Neither can I." The two smiled at each other, almost mimicking each other's movements with the slight tilt of their head. Will Graham was in danger but it was hard to tell who was more dangerous.

**A/N:** It's short because it's an intro, but I sure as hell like it. If you have any scenes from books you want me to include tell me, could use more material. **UPDATE EVERY OTHER WEEK!** Unless I have nothing to do then it'll be updated quicker. That's as soon as I can get to it.


	2. The Ball in the Court

**Chapter 2:** Ball in the Court

She didn't stare at herself in the mirror, she didn't need to. Walking carefully to her closet she let the sheets that covered her fall to the floor as she opened the large doors, staring at the numerous amount of clothes that she possessed. The clothes ranged from expensive to bargain, each served a purpose. She ran a finger across her bottom lip, the choice had to be careful, she was preparing for battle. Nothing expensive or to fashionable, but somehow slightly clumsy. Makeup was not needed, not yet anyway. Throwing the clothing options on the bed she stared at her hair next, unlike her clothes it would need to be in perfect condition. A simple ponytail over her shoulder, with a braid that seemed a bit loose.

She had to think carefully, from clothes to hair to shoes to even scent. She was getting ready, her first move on the chessboard and it had to be perfect.

* * *

><p>Will Graham sat there on the park bench watching the ducks on the lake. He had no intention of going back to his classroom, fear of seeing Jack or Alana. He didn't want Jack to keep pushing him for answers and he didn't want to be reminded of how unstable he was by Alana. He liked them both well enough but not enough that he wanted to see them daily. Besides, he liked to be by himself.<p>

He turned his head around, glancing briefly at the people surrounding him. There were quite a number of them but only one stuck out to him in particular. A woman who was reading, but she wasn't reading, not once had she lifted a finger to even remotely turn the page. Sighing, he got up and walked over to her.

"Are you stalking me?" Will asked. The woman didn't answer, only glanced up at him and setting her book down.

"I don't even know you, why would I stalk someone that I don't know?" she asked.

"Good answer, why were you staring then?"

"I like your glasses." Will almost said that he wasn't wearing any but he reached up to grab them, he must have forgotten that he had them on. He shoved them into his pocket, trying his best to hide the red in his cheeks. "That doesn't answer the question."

"It did well enough, unless you want to ask me some more?" she asked.

"Uh no, I just…I noticed you staring and…" Will trailed off, he didn't know why he even came over. It was normal for others to stare at him but hers was somehow different. He began to stare at his feet, searching for something to say, confident that she grew tired of his company. When he looked up again he was surprised to find her smiling at him.

"Am I making you nervous?" she wondered.

"I don't get nervous," Will said.

"You want to talk?"

"We just met."

"All the more reason to talk. Besides, you look like you don't want to go where you're supposed to."

"How do you know that?"

"I'm doing the same thing." Will felt himself smile, she was a rather interesting sort of woman, a bit bold but he liked a straightforward human being. He found comfort in them for some reason.

"Graham," he said.

"Kakkar, nice to meet you Mr. Graham," she smiled. The two shook hands and Will took a seat across from her at the table. He looked down at the book she was reading, it was about vintage style ideas for a house. "What are you avoiding Mr. Graham?"

"Certain aspects of my job require me to do things I'd rather not," he answered, feeling a bit weird to be called Mr. Graham.

"And you Ms. Kakkar?"

"Pediatric surgeon, kid needs a new lung, not sure if he's going to make it. I hate talking to parents about probability and it's probable the kid dies." Will paused, not sure what to say, she was very straightforward. It reminded Will of Alana in a way but there was something else about her straightforwardness.

"Seems we both share jobs that deliver bad news," Will chuckled.

"And what do you do?" she asked.

"I uh…profile people, killers to be exact."

"I would say that's awful and offer some form of condolence but from what tv shows tell me that sounds rather amazing."

"It's not, trust me."

"Trust you, aren't you a stranger?"

"Maybe next time we meet, we won't be strangers?"

"You never know, we might bump into each other the next time we're running away from our problems." Minda reach out and pushed Will's glasses up. His face immediately turned red, she watched his cheeks turn red and noticed the slight redness in his ears. She smiled, that might have been a bit cute. "See you around Mr. Graham."

"Will," he said quickly, fighting his tongue not to stutter out his name.

"Next time, I'll tell you mine," she smiled. Will watched the woman leave as she shuffled her hands into her pockets. He felt his lips upturn into a smile, he rather liked that meeting. He scoffed at the idea of meeting the woman again, probably not, he was never that lucky. His phone began to ring, before looking at the caller id he already knew that it was Jack. He sighed as he headed off to the office, ignoring the call. If he knew Jack then Jack would find him.

* * *

><p>"I…met someone today," Will smiled. Hannibal stopped staring at his notes and looked up. He eased back into his chair, thinking of something to say.<p>

"Tell me about them," he said. Will told Hannibal about the meeting with Ms. Kakkar. Hannibal felt his jaw tighten, he knew exactly who Will was talking about. This woman was moving rather quickly but she had said that the game was on, she wasn't joking. Hannibal didn't mind much, he liked the challenge of it and he had been growing bored lately.

Next Will shared the gruesome murder that had taken place earlier, themed after a scene in a popular children's book. Hannibal made a note to get Jack to show him the crime scene photos, he did enjoy looking at another's work from time to time. Provided that the work was impeccable.

When Will had left his office he began to tidy up, it didn't take long it was a matter of placing a book from one shelf to another.

"I think he likes me," Minda chuckled. Hannibal looked up at his balcony, he didn't question how she got in and had done so in such a quiet manner.

"That's not really relevant now is it?" he asked.

"Oh, don't get jealous. You can make a move anytime, the ball's in your court."

"I don't get jealous."

"Deny, deny, deny, ever get tired of that? That's where we differ Hannibal, I like to rip the wings off and you'd rather watch them after they've ripped their own wings. Are you really content with just watching?"

"The ball's in my court? Well, I suppose I'll have to do something with it." Minda searched through the many books that Hannibal had on his shelf. She found that she quite liked one that had been written in German. It was an intense study about the brain.

"You mind if I borrow this?" she asked him.

"As long as you don't damage it," he said.

"Good, I have an idea for when it's my turn. Speaking of which, I brought something special for you." Minda jumped down from the balcony and handed him a bento box. Hannibal placed it on his desk, waiting for Minda to explain what was inside.

"Had a friend make it special for you. Four michelin star quality chef, pity he didn't recognize the meat. Spent all night guessing, never figured it out. Though you might be able to guess. Can't wait to read about you in the paper Hannibal. We can talk about it during my appointment." Minda chuckled as she placed the book onto her shoulder, she would have to go hunting. At least fifteen people would be necessary for the task but since it was Hannibal's turn she wasn't worried about collecting them in time. She just had to keep them alive long enough until the perfect moment.

Now that she had made contact with Will the stone was now rolling down the hill. How fast it went all depended on how innocently stupid Will was.

**A/N:** Next chapter it is about to get super exciting, lot of Hannibal and Will interaction. It's gonna be fun, fun, fun.


	3. The Opening Move

**A/N:** Hey, it's been a while (a super long time) but I'm back. Hopefully people like this chapter. I needed one more chapter before I dived into the action and next chapter is full of action, and things. Yes…things.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The Opening Move<strong>_

Will walked the crime scene, taking it apart ad putting it back together again while Jack watched. It was another painting. But this time the story it painted was different than the last time.

There was a large glass tank in the center of the field, the tank was an old relic from the aquarium, tossed due to the many cracks the glass held but it was still able to hold water. The water was a muddy blue, littered with clay and dust. But inside, was the real treasure, a woman with long dark hair floating inside. Her eyes had been removed, replaced with glass, twinkling in the water. Her lips were devoid of any makeup and sewn shut with a single thread which would later be revealed to be a made out of bits of her hair.

She was dressed simply with arms and limbs broken so that she looked more like a broken doll floating in the water. Jimmy, Brian, and Beverly walked around the tank, the two men arguing how they could possible get the whole thing inside the building in order to log everything properly. Beverly rolled her eyes, of course, the water would be removed first.

"Looks like Alice moved to Ariel," Jack said.

"It's not the same person," Will replied.

"How so?"

"There's no fantasy, no sense of wonder. This is more like a modern interpretation of something, a painting."

"Who paints a woman in a tank?" Jimmy asked.

"It's not of a woman in a tank, she was drowned in a tank. But, it's not finished yet," Will answered.

"Looks finished to me," Beverly said. Will walked closer to the tank, noticing the cracks and the tiny drops of water coming out of the cracks. He tapped the side lightly with his gloved hand as to not disturb the evidence when the glass cracked even more under the pressure. The crack sounded like thunder as the tank began to fall apart, everyone stepping back to avoid getting wet. As the tank broke and the body fell onto the ground Will knew instantly what painting the killer had in mind.

It would have been impossible to see inside the tank but as the dead body rested on the ground there was a single red rose that had been placed in her hand (or rather sewn to it).

Beverly was the first to say it, "Found Drowned."

"What?" Brian asked.

"The name of the painting is Found Drowned."

"And how do you know that?"

"Every kids got to go to a museum sometime." Will Graham knelt down and stared into the glass eyes of the victim, there was something reflected in the glass. Something that resembled to the picture of a chess board.

* * *

><p><em>Once the crime scene had been thoroughly processed and pictures had been taken, the autopsy had begun. The drowned woman's glass eye did in fact reveal something. It was a folded picture of a chessboard with the white pawn moved to the position e4. <em>

"_He's playing a game with someone," Will said. _

"_Who is?" Beverly asked. _

"_Not sure, but this game is just beginning and the board is going to fill up with bodies fast .I suspect that the killer of the Alice crime scene is already aware of the first move. They'll have to respond soon."_

"_How many more bodies are we looking at Will?" Jack asked him. _

"_That all depends on who's the better player. Who will get what they want first?"_

"_We won't let them get that chance."_

"_You can't stop them Jack, not even if you were to catch one of them. This is a game that will continue to be played until both of them are dead."_

Will opened his eyes, his thoughts of the conversation earlier fading into the distance. He was watching someone, not scared to say hello but just wanting to watch. The woman from earlier, Ms. Kakkar, was sitting in the middle of the grass covered park ground meddling with a pencil. She would occasionally chew the tip, write something down, twiddle it between her fingers and then start all over again. There was a slight crinkle in the middle of her forehead that formed when she looked at her watch, the break she had seemed to enjoy must have been over and she had to leave. Shuffling the books and pad in her bag she stood up, slightly falling as one of her legs must have fallen asleep, which made Will stifle a smile. In a matter of minutes she had disappeared down the road, on her way back to work.

Since their meeting Will would occasionally stop by the park and see if Ms. Kakkar was there. He wasn't exactly nervous to talk to her but every time he gathered courage to start a conversation he would overthink what he should say and then she would be gone. Alana followed him one day and sat across from him at the table that he was watching Ms. Kakkar from and looked in the same direction that he was looking.

"She's rather pretty," she smiled. Will looked in her direction and laughed.

"Well, if you like that type, then yes, she is," Will confirmed.

"You should go talk to her."

"I did."

"When?"

"A couple weeks ago, she talked to me first. Pediatric surgeon."

"A medical woman, she's a keeper. You get her number?"

"No, I don't think I'm her type exactly. Though she does remind me of a friend of mine." Alana smiled, knowing the last sentence had been aimed at her. Will was doing well since his rejection, though his feelings were still there she knew he wouldn't pursue them. He was trying to change them from romantic love to a sisterly love and she embraced it. Will would do great with a new romantic interest and if Ms. Kakkar was it, she would help him.

"Will, you are everyone's type. Just ask her for dinner or something. See if she likes dogs. We know she likes parks, maybe she likes dog parks," Alana suggested.

"A woman who likes dogs, bare minimum that works for me." The two exchanged laughter and Will glanced at his watch. He needed to head towards Dr. Lecter's office for his session. He said his goodbye's to Alana and began the walk to Lecter's office. He had parked far from the park because he enjoyed the walk. On his way to his car he saw Ms. Kakkar, it looked like she was waiting for something. She gave a whistle and a large border collie mix ran over to her. The dog was beautiful, as large as a Great Pyrenees with the same figure and tail that belonged to a Collie with fur that was a light golden blonde and white underneath. There was no need for a leash, the dog followed quickly behind her. Will chuckled to himself the phrase he told Alana echoing in his head: "A woman who does like dogs, bare minimum that works for me."

* * *

><p>It was hard to keep his jaw from tightening when Will talked about Minda, like she was something so great. Hannibal liked the woman well enough, she was certainly interesting but did Will have to talk about her constantly lately? He stifled a smile as he thought about her accusation of him being jealous. Maybe he was, maybe a little bit.<p>

"And she likes dogs, suppose Alana would want me to ask her out to dinner," Will said.

"Expanding your circle of friends would be good for you. And sharing a common interest would give you something to talk about. What do you think?" Hannibal asked him.

"I think, I might ask her to go fishing with me. Haven't been in awhile."

"Why fishing?"

"I find that fishing reveals a lot about someone."

"With the right person it can be rather intimate."

"I don't need intimacy, maybe just someone else to talk to. Not that I don't enjoy our talks, Dr. Lecter."

"Well, you can't talk to her about everything but she might help keep your mind off your work the next time Jack tries to push you further then you're ready."

"Relationship advice from my psychiatrist, even I find that interesting…and somehow pathetic."

"You are not pathetic Will, remember that." Will chuckled at the thought and began to talk to Dr. Lecter about the latest crime scene.

Time passed to quickly, Hannibal was noticing that the time he spent talking to Will was somehow seeming to go by much to quickly. He hadn't the slightest idea when it started, but it was an ongoing mystery that Hannibal wasn't sure he should solve. Not that he was afraid of the results but he didn't want Minda to be correct, there was something rather vexing about her, but she still remained interesting.

"I don't think I like fishing. I don't mind slimy things but I never truly had the patience for it," Minda said from atop the balcony. She had the book she had borrowed from Hannibal's library in hand and put it back in it's place. Not surprised that the other books had no trace of dust on them.

"You seem rather keen on entering my office this way and eavesdropping," Hannibal said. Minda chuckled, holding up a pair of headphones and an iPod.

"I was not eavesdropping, I know how much you hate rudeness. My surgery ended early so I stopped by. I suppose I could learn to like fishing, interesting concept for me."

"I heard about your dog."

"Kali, she's a peach, really sharp teeth. Sharpened them myself with a titanium tip dipped in ivory. Did it myself when I spayed her, increasingly well tamed. You should get one."

"My younger sister wanted a pet, surely one would remind me of her so I avoid them altogether."

"I'm an only child myself, but I don't think of my family. Though their money is rather useful when I need it. Speaking of which, I did enjoy your work, even though I'm not one for paintings. I think because I find them as a substitute for stories."

"Good stories are derived from good paintings. I hope to prove that when I win."

"A little over confident are we? If you don't want me taking Will best invite him for a play date soon or he'll be mine."

"And what do you plan to do with Will Graham?"

"I could ask you the same question, but it seems that you're having a hard time deciding. I find I enjoy playing this game of heart over logic. You see I don't have that problem, I like what I like and that's the end of that. Restraint is for fools and those not able to hide what they like well if they want to keep it a secret. But then there's that funny thing called denial, I like to chip it away the block of denial. Despite your indulgences, as good as they are, Hannibal Lecter, you still deny a few things. I'm just interested to see exactly what becomes of you when there is nothing left to deny."

"You make it sound as if you're trying to help me," Hannibal chuckled.

"Of course I am, because if there is one thing that people should not deny, it is the fantasy of complete and utter indulgence. By the way, D6, that's mine. Good first move, but I think I might be able to beat it."

"D4," Hannibal said.

"G6."

"C4."

"Well, now I have to think about that." Minda jumped down from the balcony, still wearing her scrubs and white coat. "Till next time. I am having a welcome to the neighborhood party soon, you should attend. It's not at my house though, I never invite people over."

"Where is it then?"

"It's a surprise." Minda bowed as she let herself out, leaving Hannibal to stare after her. His jaw began to tighten. He scoffed at the idea that he was denying himself something, there was nothing he could possibly be denying himself. Denial, was indeed, something that fools did.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hey, sorry that it's been awhile and to deal with some stuff that took me away from the computer. But, I'm better now so that's that. I'll be updating regularly now. Sorry it took so long.

My bad. There's some gore in the next chapter and maybe some Hannibal and Will things…but you never know.


	4. Red is the Color of

**A/N:** Here we go again.

_**Red is the Color of…**_

The sound of something being dragged echoed through the empty cabin. From the outside everything seemed to be in order, nothing but the silence of the surrounding forest. But inside the cabin laid a different story. The unconscious body of a strong, built young man was being dragged to a corner of the bedroom. Minda wiped the sweat off of her forehead with the back of her hand as she looked down at him.

"I don't know why I do this to myself sometimes," she sighed. Her hair had been wrapped up in a deer skin scarf, while the rest of her donned gloves and a protective black suit, along with a mask. Once she had the man tied to the chair she slapped him awake. As his eyes lazily opened she taped his mouth shut with a piece of duct tape.

"Good morning Mr. Wolf," Minda smiled from behind her mask. "Or rather should I say good night."

The man struggled against his restraints, moving frantically and shouting but to no avail. The next person was miles away, but Minda knew that. As he frantically tried to free himself from his restraints Minda walked outside into the cold night air, eyeing the axe that had been left on the side of the house. Swinging it over her should with one arm she skipped inside. The terror in the man's eyes grew wide when he spied the axe. Making sure that her gloves were on properly she removed the duct tape from his mouth.

"You don't have to do this," he pleaded.

"Why is it that the one thing you always say the most is, 'I don't have to do this.' It's almost as if you think that you somehow deserve to live. As if you think that I care if you think you matter. But you see Mr. Wolf, it's not entirely my fault you know. You shouldn't have eaten Lil Red Riding Hood's grandma, that was incredibly rude of you." Minda raised the axe over her head and watched the man's eye's grow wide with terror. He would have screamed but any sounds he made was replaced by a bloody gurgle as the blood poured out of his mouth like a fountain. There were a few gurgles and maybe a few raspy breaths but the silence of the forest soon invaded the inside of the cabin.

Minda looked around at the man, the wolf of the story. He was missing something, where had Lil Red Riding Hood gone?

* * *

><p>Will looked down at the bloody footprints. Jack had called him early that morning but before leading him to the crime scene he led him to a set of footprints that did not exactly belong to a set of feet. These looked more like an animal had made them, but the prints were soaked in blood as if it had been walking in it. The prints led to the crime scene with another set leaving away from the scene of blood, which had taken place in a cabin.<p>

Jack commanded that everyone leave the area to let Will piece everything back together. Once Will was sure that he was alone he closed his eyes and let out a breath, starting the event from the beginning.

The prints were man made, a pattern carved into the bottom of a set of leather shoes. The blood was already on the bottom of the shoes, probably a mix of the victims blood. The journey inside was simple, all that had to be done was take the unconscious bodies inside and wait for them to wake up.

Will walked inside the cabin, pushing the door open whose hinges had been broken and a bloody axe had been left in the middle of the door as if someone was trying to get in frantically. The prints led to the man who had been gutted, intestines hanging out of him, and dried blood pouring form his mouth. Inside the mess of his spilled intestines and organs was the head and arm of a woman. She was rather young but her hair had been dyed a light gray, an attempt to age her in some way.

As Will walked in further he noticed that everything had been moved inside, as if it was fitting a grid of some sort. In the corner of the bedroom was another victim, a woman with short brunette hair. Her death was much more of a chore, the old rope marks on her wrist had been remade, one bruise of rope on top of another. She and broken free from her retrains and was now running loose in the forest. The killer didn't run after her, instead a knife had been taken and thrown, finding a home in the back of her neck. She had died from suffocation, the knife had pierced a nerve in the spine. The nerve had controlled part of the respiratory system and with it severed paralysis set in, taking her slowly. The body had been carried back inside instead of dragged, the killer was strong. Once the body was back in place the knife had been removed and set to the side and it was time for her to look the part. The eyes had been removed and only bloody stains remained, she was dressed in red but her body had been covered in teeth and claw marks. Her throat had even been bitten into by what Will suspected to be either a wild or trained animal, but that was only dressings to complete the story.

But there was something missing from this story and there was something in the back of Will's head telling him that he was not seeing everything he should. He looked around the room again, there was something about the way it had been set up.

"What do you think?" Jack asked, the sound of his voice pulling Will out of his thoughts.

"Tell me Jack, how well do you know the story of Little Red Riding Hood?" Will wondered.

"Girl goes to grandma's house, wolf eats grandma, woodsman saves grandma and girl form wolf," Jimmy interrupted.

"Right but there's something, or rather someone missing," Will added. The tram looked around, wondering if the other victim had been stuffed into a special hiding place.

"The woodsman," Beverly said, breaking the silence.

"Where is he then?" Jack shrugged.

"This killer is playing a game with another. Whoever it is hates boredom to their very soul, so much that putting the woodsman in another place is not a foreign concept to them. That, or they haven't found the perfect woodsman yet. We'll know more after we process the room," Will said. The team nodded and began to gather evidence and take pictures, packing the bodies up and driving them to the lab. Will sat outside, wondering what was bothering him about the way the room had been set up. There was something different about this story, it was still a story but somehow it had changed into something else. Jack sat down next to Will, pulling him from his thoughts again.

"We need to catch them Will," he said.

"This I am well aware, but if they keep going in turns like this they may be quite impossible to catch. Nothing is the same. One honors paintings while the other honors stories but they also play a game of who's better at the same time. If you play a game of who's better you become meticulous, never ignoring every detail, you want to impress as much as you want to show off. Everything must be perfect and with that level of perfection, they will be hard to catch. Or one might beat the other," Will replied.

"And what happens when one of them wins?"

"Either the other dies or they become friends. Either way, the killings stop, until they decide to play another game." Will's eyes grew wide after he said the word game. That's what this was, he ran back into the cabin ordering everyone to stop. No one moved as he hurriedly looked at the room. There were spots of blood that didn't make sense and now they did. The room and been set like a chessboard and the pieces were the victims.

"Bishop to G7," he said aloud. "It's chess, they're playing a game of chess." Will looked back at Jack, who had entered the room again, looking more confused than normal at Will's behavior.

"Oh Jack, I was wrong. This is more than a game for the two of them. This is a silent war."

* * *

><p>Will stared at his phone, he had stared at it for so long he had managed to lose track of time. All he could think about was who to ask Miss Kakkar out on a date. He never did this and if he did memories of a badly written note passed through a busy classroom came to mind. He took a deep breath and dialed her number. As it rang he kept practicing what to say and how to say it.<p>

"Hello, Minda Kakkar speaking," came the voice from the other side.

"So your first name is Minda?" he asked playfully.

"Mr. Will form the park, and how did you manage to get my number?"

"Well Kakkar isn't exactly a very popular name and not many surgeons in this area are Indian. You weren't that hard to find, a phone book helps as well."

"Oh, taking the cheaters route, my hat goes off to you sir. To what pleasure do I owe this phone call?"

"Well, I was just…I wondered maybe…if you would might want to go fishing possibly. That is if you like to fish. I could teach you if you don't know or we could…"

"Fishing is fine. Though I don't know anything about it and I might be a bit of a wuss if we have to cut into them, but this sounds like a date."

"It is a date, if you would like it to be."

"I like dating with fish, sounds fun." Will found himself blushing, his cheeks felt hot. He had planned to take her out on a Saturday and to meet at the place they had first met. After telling her what type of outfit to wear and that he had al the equipment covered he hung up. Once he was done with the conversation he checked his watch. Cursing under his breath, he grabbed his bag and ran out the door. He was late for his appointment with Hannibal.

* * *

><p>Hannibal tapped away at the watch on his wrist. Another five minutes and twenty three seconds had gone by. He didn't know why he was irritated but he was. It wasn't the first time Will was late but there was something different about today. It could be the fact that Minda was up in his balcony confirming a date with Will as he listened. Minda only sat there, staring down at him with a smug look on her face.<p>

"What?" he said, tilting his head up at her.

"You're jealous and you can't admit it. I had no idea you could achieve cuteness, but you have. The more jealous you are, the cuter you are. Astounding how that works," she smiled.

"Do you not have anyone to operate on?"

"Moved my appointments an hour early, and handed off one to another doctor. He owed me a favor."

"Then go home."

"Oh, but don't we have a session in about two hours?"

"Yes but you don't need to be this early."

"I think I do. Now's the time to put your cards on the table, Dr. Lecter, and I really want to see just what you plan to do with them. I promise I'll be quiet." Minda smiled and tilted her head playfully. Hannibal would have said something but the stumbling of Will could be heard a mile away. Will quickly made his way to the door and straightened himself up before knocking.

Hannibal took one more glance up at the balcony but Minda had disappeared out of sight. He went to the door and found Will trying to catch his breath, a light blanket of sweat decorated his forehead. Despite him being late a small smile was still plastered on his face, which seemed to irritate Hannibal.

"You're late," Hannibal stated, walking back to his chair as he fixed his cufflinks.

"I know, but…I have good news," Will smiled, still somehow out of breath.

"Good enough to be late?"

"Well yes, I mean, no…possibly. You know I've had issues dealing with going to deep sometimes. Alana says I should try dating and maybe I might."

"Dating? Seems like a reasonable decision." For some reason Hannibal began to grip the arm of his chair harder than usual. He only noticed when he felt his fingernails dig into the expensive leather threatening to rip it. Will kept talking about Alana and Minda, Minda and Alana, it was all rather irritating to hear. Then he mentioned his date and he remembered the smug look on Minda's face. He didn't know what he hated more, the feeling of being defeated or actually being defeated, both were rather unpleasant. Hannibal checked his watch, Will's session was over.

Normally he would let Will talk as much as he liked, it wasn't like he was busy but his patience for Will had somehow run out. He closed his book shut rather loudly and Will stopped droning on about his worries of his impending date.

"I'm sorry, I'm probably running into another session," Will said, he always seemed to instantly know what Hannibal seemed to be thinking sometimes.

Sometimes.

"Normally, I'd love to discuss with you but I had a meeting with a colleague that I did not want to be late for. Though I am glad that you are slowly getting out of your shell Will, more human contact will do you some good. Especially this…woman in your life," Hannibal said, trying not to grit his teeth.

"I think it might be a good change. Maybe, I'm not one for change when I'm content doing things a certain way, but Alana thinks it'll be good for me. A sense of stability or something," Will said, his face becoming tense when he mentioned Alana and stability. Hannibal liked Will just the way he was, in fact, he rather preferred him more unstable, easier to pick up the right pieces when he finally did break. Hannibal's eyes wandered to his balcony and he found Minda staring at him, that same smug look on her face as if he had already been beaten.

"…suppose I should clean the house as well, dog fur and what not…" Will said. Hannibal's eyes shifted to Will and something snapped, like the string of a guitar. Hannibal took one simple step forward and Will crashed into the wall behind him, cornered like a helpless rabbit. Hannibal removed Will's glasses, folding them up quickly and placing them in his shirt pocket and grabbed the underside of his chin, holding him up so that their eyes couldn't escape each other. Hannibal thought he should move closer, bridge the gap between the two but he could hear something from up above him. The light sound of someone giggling.

He took a step back, Will looking confused and red faced as he did. Hannibal fixed his collar and smoothed back the mess of curls he had.

"There, now you look more presentable for your date," Hannibal said, not seeming bothered in the least. He could hear Will's heartbeat practically beating out of his chest but paid no attention to it. Will took a step forward off the wall, putting himself in close proximity to Hannibal.

"Right…thank you, I won't be late next time," Will said.

"I'd like that." Will nodded and hurried out, stumbling a few times as he did. Once he had cleared the building there was a thud behind Hannibal. Minda had jumped down form the balcony and was standing in the middle of the room now.

"Like I said, cute when jealous. I left something for you by the way, thought you might want to finish the story for me," Minda smiled as she skipped past Hannibal, lightly tapping I'm on the shoulder. Hannibal managed to let out a sigh as he eased into one of his chairs, a slight chuckle escaping his lips. Jealousy, what a new concept indeed.

**A/N:** I'm not gonna say she tricked him, but she did. Minda is a good little trickster and what she does next time just might push Hannibal over the edge. Not to mention the little gift she leaves. Hope nothing happens to her.

Anyway, thanks for the follows but leave me some reviews so I can improve and try to keep this characters in character. Bye now.


	5. In Excess

_**In Excess…**_

"I think I might know what your problem is," Minda said.

"And what is that?" Will asked her, slightly intrigued. The two of them had woken up early that morning because Minda had read something about fishing early would yield better results. Although she was right, Will thought a date taking place earlier than seven in the morning might have been pushing it.

"You need to relax more," she said confidently.

"I'll be sure to alert my therapist," he chuckled.

"Be sure that you do, I know quite a bit about these things."

"Do you?" A silence crept through the car as Will glanced at Minda, she smiled and stared at him. Then she leaned back in her seat and laughed.

"Okay, maybe not, but if you ever need an emergency surgery then I'm your girl," she winked.

"I'll be sure to remember that."

"Be sure that you do, girl needs to make a living like every one else." Will stifled a laugh and the two drove on to their destination in giggled laced silence. What started the fit of small giggles was an old station on the radio that Minda had discovered while surfing about. Will was not one to sing, much less listen to the radio but he liked to watch Minda. Her fingers would strum along with the drums on the dashboard along with the bobbing of her head. She would mouth the words and even strum the guitar strings, Will had no doubt that if she had a guitar in hand she would play along with the music easily. Even if she didn't sing it was hard not for him to giggle, Minda seemed to be having enough fun for the both of them.

"Are you analyzing me?" Minda asked. The two had stopped on the side of the road so that Will could put more gas in the car, which smelled like the woods and dog.

"Why would you ask me that?" Will answered, as much as he didn't like to answer a question with a question he was feeling playful enough to tread slightly out of his norm.

"I don't know, you seem like you can't help it, like when I look at a child. I can't help but think, what's wrong with them? What's their blood type? How big is their heart? Broken bones, faulty lungs, allergies? What's wrong with you now, and how can you be fixed? My job has convinced me that there is nothing in this world that exists that is perfectly healthy," Minda answered.

"Same for me, I wonder sometimes what makes people do what they do. If I'm socially awkward I know that I can just take a slight peek into their minds, into their lives and act just like them if I need to. I can blend in, camouflage, be them, and all to find out what I want about them. But I never do," Will answered.

"And why don't you Mr. Graham?"

"I think because I like the slight mystery of what lies hiding in the dark…either that or I'm to lazy."

"Or scared."

"Oh, I'm always scared, why do you think I have so many dogs?" Minda laughed and put her feet on the dashboard of the car as Will slid back into the driver's seat. He watched Minda as they drove in silence the rest of the way. Her hair would fly out the window but she was never bothered by the cold air hitting her face. She never looked down, she always looked up at the sun, even though Will was sure that the sun would bother her eyes she never once squinted.

The car came to a stop and Minda ran out, she was almost like a puppy who couldn't wait to get out of the car. She ran to the edge of the lake, panting as she looked at the tranquil scene. Will caught up to her and the two watched the lake in silence.

"It's pretty, you've got an eye for romantic venues Mr. Graham," Minda smiled.

"Romantic, you think so?" he asked.

"Don't underestimate yourself Will, you're quite the romantic. Way down deep inside, somewhere, it likes to peek through every now and again." Minda tapped Will lightly on the shoulder and took the fishing rods from him, wondering how she was even supposed to operate one. Will chuckled to himself as he looked at his reflection in the water, a romantic, maybe he could be that.

Like a shot to the head his mind flashed to when Hannibal had cornered him into the wall. That was the first time he had seen Hannibal so blatantly forceful. Shaking his head the thoughts of Hannibal and his forcefulness pushed into the back of his mind and he ran to help Minda, who had entangled her leg in the fishing wire.

* * *

><p>Hannibal sat there in his chair, tapping away at the picture he was sketching. He had woken up early that morning, to a photo of Minda with a smiling Will who had half of his hat over his face. That put him in a bad mood. Such a bad mood that he cancelled his appointments for the rest of the day.<p>

The more time passed, the more his annoyance grew. He carefully placed his sketching pencil down and went to his basement. There in the middle of the basement that had been covered in clear plastic was a man who had been tied to a metal chair, his skin decorated in claw and bite marks. The present that Minda had talked about earlier was him, she had wanted to see how Hannibal would interpret the story.

Hannibal couldn't help but think that she was testing him, trying to get under his skin and win this so called competition. His phone rang again and Hannibal looked at the photo from Minda. It was a picture of Will with his back to the camera, happily fishing in the morning light.

He found himself biting his inner cheek.

* * *

><p>Will was angry, to say the least. Jack had called him in urgently, there was no waiting with Jack and Will knew it. Minda was just beginning to get the hang of fishing when Will's phone began to ring. He knew he should have turned it off but if he did Jack would have half a mind to put a gps in the phone, if he didn't already.<p>

After apologizing for cutting the date short, he dropped Minda off at her car. They had decided to meet in a library parking lot, she had said there were some books she had checked out that were late and would have liked to drop them off. Will didn't mind, when he pulled up to pick her up he found her sitting outside on the hood of her car, reading silently to herself.

"I'm very sorry about this but…well, I can't really say anything else," Will sighed, pulling up next to her car, it was an old station wagon.

"What can you do, work is work, and it takes a little bit out of everyone," Minda sighed, she was visibly disappointed but when Will showed the slightest bit of recognition on her face she winked at him. She stepped out the car and fished through her pockets for her keys. Once she found them she exited the car and walked towards her own.

"Quick question," Will said, poking his head out of his car window. Minda stopped and nodded for him to ask.

"Why does a surgeon drive an old station wagon? An old green station wagon to be exact?"

"You know what my father once told me about quick questions? Some questions might be quick, but answers, well…I imagine you can think of the rest."

"Does this mean we'll have to go on another date for me to get the answer?" Minda laughed and took a few steps back until she was leaning next to his car window, Will smiling up at her. She knelt down and kissed Will on the forehead, then his cheek, until Will leaned back into his car. His face was red, burning with embarrassment but Minda not once moved, he glanced at her face through the rearview mirror, her cheeks were a slight red tint. Maybe it was the cold and maybe it wasn't. He opened the car door and stood next to her.

"Would you like to go fishing again?" Will asked.

"If you plan to go fishing with me again at such an early time, then we should plan a sleepover," Minda smiled.

"Suppose I should bring the popcorn." Minda laughed again but this time she glanced at Will, who leaned closer and kissed her on the lips. The kiss was clumsy, Will could tell that she didn't kiss much. It was so clumsy that she accidentally bit him on the lip, when he tasted blood her took a step back and the look of horror on her face almost made him laugh.

"Sorry, I just…I don't really…not since high school…oh god," she panicked, her face burying into her hands. Will laughed for some reason, she looked unbearably adorable. His phone rang again and he cursed himself even more for not turning it off.

"Practice makes perfect you know," Will said, kissing her on the cheek. She smiled and walked to her car, Will beginning to pull out of the driveway as she stepped into the drivers side. He caught one last glimpse of her hiding her face in her hands as he drove off to the crime scene. It was refreshing to see the calm and cool collected surgeon suddenly act like an awkward schoolgirl, he thought of himself as the same when it came to dating.

* * *

><p>Minda waited until his car was at least three miles away from her before looking up. She had next to perfect hearing, some would even describe it as demonic. Once she was sure he was gone she began to chuckle, then laugh, then cackle loudly as she held her sides.<p>

This game was rather funny. Will was luck that dumb animal that went in the middle of a clearing during hunting season. But he was rather cute about it.

She licked her teeth, the taste of metal filling her mouth. Will did taste rather good, she could see why Hannibal liked him so much. But the game was hardly over.

How far should she push Hannibal? How far should she go with Will?

This was a game of hot or cold. What move was to hot? What move was to cold? It stretched far beyond the simple game of chess they had constructed.

Minda loved competition, she liked to win. She also liked to teach, in her own twisted demented way. She had been better than her last twelve opponents, taught them to be more efficient and self indulgent, but hadn't learned a thing from them.

Maybe she was putting to much hope in Hannibal but maybe he had something to offer to the table.

"I'm curious to see what he did to my woodsman," Minda said aloud.

* * *

><p>When Will arrived he was given a set of booties as to not contaminate the crime scene, a very odd thing for him to receive. He stepped into the abandoned warehouse and the first thing he noticed was blood. It was everywhere. In fact, it had completely covered the floor, it even dripped out onto the grass outside.<p>

"This is excessive," Will stated, Jack scoffed at the statement.

"Wait until you see the body," Jack said, pointing to the corner. Slumped over like a fallen doll was the body of a man, no doubt the missing woodsman. His head had been cleanly separated from his body, it was only a few inches above the rest of them, hold up high by an axe that had been plunged into the wall.

"So this is how the mighty woodsman meets his end?" Bev asked. Jack was about to shoo everyone out of the room but Will grabbed ahold of his arm, there was no need, not this time.

"This killer was angry, everything is in excess. To much blood, to many claw marks, some fresh, some old, some before death, some after death, there are to many here. Even the axe, the blade is dull, it would have taken a lot of strength to separate the head cleanly like this with a dull blade. There's going to be more bodies, if there aren't already but we better move quickly," Will said.

"Or else he'll start dropping more bodies?" Jack asked.

"It's not about the amount of bodies, it's about the rage behind it. I doubt he'll drop more, we're not looking for survivors Jack, we're looking for corpses. If only I could figure out their faces, these games they play are childish and destructive but controlled as well. Rare combinations in killers. This killer had a quiet rage and the worst kind of rage, is a silent one."

"Why the silence?"

"Not sure yet, someone must have really pissed him off."

_**A/N:** _She sure did piss him off. Working on the next chapter, and it's a fun chapter. There's gonna be some Will aggressive Hannibal stuff, but not to quickly, Will's like a deer, you got to get him into that false state of security before you pull the trigger.

Appreciate all the follows and favs but you know what's better? That's right, I'm gonna say the word: reviews. Leave them, help me get better, tell me what you want.

Peace.


	6. Be Nimble, Be Quick

_**A/N:** _I was reading some of the reviews and decided to write again. Sorry it took so long, the hospital wanted me to become a permanent resident.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Be Nimble, Be Quick…<strong>_

Minda had already seen the crime scene of the woodsman. Hannibal shouldn't have killed him in a place with a roof; a hole here, a small high definition camera there, and she had a perfect view. He certainly did do a little overkill, but…it was funny. Minda doubted that he was even aware that he managed to lose his temper.

She contemplated her next move while she was in her office, thinking closely about what she should do. Technically it was Hannibal's turn, but it was also Minda's turn. Did it count if he finished her story? Then that would mean he'd have to pick a painting for her to do. God, she hated paintings, waste of paper is what they were.

She looked at the time. Her appointment was close, she better get a move on. She glanced at her watch and an idea rushed into her head. Hannibal was a beast with a rage he didn't even notice. The best way to bait a beast was to sacrifice an innocent. How fun that would be.

"I wonder if his tears taste good," Minda chuckled aloud, licking her lips.

* * *

><p>Will woke up in his bed alone, for some reason his house seemed emptier than usual. He had cancelled his lecture and was even ready to cancel his appointment with Dr. Lecter but he enjoyed the time he spent talking to him and decided to keep it. His head was pounding, numbing his mind with alcohol was effective but took its toll. Winston barked at him, successfully dragging him out of his daze. He checked his cellphone, almost forgetting that he had turned it off.<p>

He knew Jack and Alana would call him if he missed his lecture or if he didn't check in. He didn't feel like being babysat, he was an adult after all. He also didn't feel like having Jack push him to find a set of killers that had done everything within their power to trip him up and stay a secret, they were just shadows in his mind. Nothing more, nothing less. Even though Jack and Alana were his friend they didn't understand him in the way he needed to be understood.

Hannibal did, the thought flew into his mind without permission and he shoved it away, burying it down deep. And then there was Minda, she was…his mind drew a blank. He didn't know what Minda was, not yet anyway.

As his phone chimed awake he noticed the amount of missed messages, voicemails, and texts. He sighed, he wasn't going to call any of them back. He would rather stay home in bed and sulk. He was feeling more drained today than normal, his nightmares and his fears catching up to him, affecting his mood and behavior. Today was not going to be a good day for Will, he knew that much.

Being normal was hard.

But he wasn't normal, he didn't want to be normal. Will threw his head into his hands as he groaned fully awake, the dogs playfully placing a paw on his knee trying to cheer him up. He rose from his bed and got ready, showered, let the dogs out, fed them, made breakfast, and walked outside his home. Jack would no doubt come to visit him. If he was in the mood to play the good little boy that Jack wanted him to be, he would have stayed home, sitting on the front porch waiting for him like his dogs did. But he wasn't a good boy, at least not for today.

He felt the keys in his pocket and unlocked his car. He didn't have much of a destination in mind, but he did remember the park where Minda always managed to sneak off to. She had told him about a tree that was perfect for climbing and hiding, promising to show it to him on their next date. Will wasn't that patient though, he decided to find it for himself.

* * *

><p>"You look grumpy," Minda said.<p>

"I'm not grumpy," Hannibal insisted. Minda had arrived on time, but Hannibal did seem a bit off. He wasn't exhausted and to the world he seemed perfectly fine but Minda recognized grumpiness when she saw it. He got a small line in the middle of his forehead when his mask was beginning to crack and his emotions began to seep through.

"I like what you did with my present, very inspiring. Now is it my turn or yours?" she asked him, looking out the window.

"It's my turn, though I haven't decided on the painting. There are many to choose from," Hannibal said, watching her closely.

"Paintings, such a waste of culture. Story lasts longer."

"Same can be said for a painting."

"Agree to disagree then, another stalemate. Or maybe, I might be ahead in this game of ours."

"And why would you think that?"

"A lot of blood at the crime scene. To much for one body, somebody went on a spree. Did I make you angry last week?"

"Will's affairs have nothing to do with me. I'm not angry."

"I never mentioned Will, funny how you bring him up."

"You did say that you wanted me to hand him over to you. I assumed that's what you were referring to." Minda chuckled, looking at the view from his office. The building was certainly located in a beautiful place, full of tress and flowers and the feature of raw nature. She turned around, facing Hannibal who seemed bored sitting in his chair but she knew better. His mask, she could see the cracks, that line on his forehead was getting bigger, brought on by an anger he hadn't even detected. She walked forward and leaned in front of him, making sure that their eyes were locked in a stare. "I wonder what you would do, if he smelled like me a bit. If he was late again because of me. Would that face of yours finally show something worthwhile?" she asked him.

"I doubt you'll get the reaction that you want, Miss Minda," Hannibal answered. Minda smiled, raising a finger and pointing it at her own forehead.

"You can't even see it, can you? This emotion must be new to you, that's why you haven't detected it yet. Right here, that little mark, it's chipping away at you. Be careful now, wouldn't want Will to see would we?"

The movement was small and quick but Minda caught it, his eyes dilated briefly and he let out a low menacing breath that should have been a growl but he knew better. Minda only smiled, glad she took the chance to rattle him a bit. His denial was rather cute, but there was nothing worse than a killer who wasn't in tune with his own emotions. Her session still had another hour or so but she had messed with him enough. She was satisfied for now, but her soul craved blood.

"Better make a decision about that painting of yours," she said, as she walked towards the door. "I'm starting to get a little restless, won't be fun if I don't get the chance to show off too."

The door shut behind her and Hannibal sat in his chair, placing a finger on his forehead. A new emotion? What a stupid thing to say.

* * *

><p>Will had found the tree that Minda was talking about. It was a large Weeping Willow. He hadn't climbed a tree in ages but his body remembered and he found himself nestled at the top of it, looking out at the scenery.<p>

"Careful Humpty Dumpty." Will looked down and his eyes settled on Minda, he pushed his glasses up and smiled at her.

"I think I've got a better handle on this than an egg," Will smirked.

"That's what Humpty Dumpty thought. Then again I'm not one of the king's men so if you do break you might have a better chance if I'm the one fixing you."

"Didn't expect to see you here today."

"Could say the same for you. How do you like my tree?"

"You should come up and ask me properly." Minda laughed as she set her bag down and began climbing up the tree branches. She came to a stop on a branch that was a little higher than Will's, making him look up at her. His eyes seemed glazed, like he was in a daze of some sort as he looked her over.

"I wanted to clear my head, try planning a few things. Got a puzzle that I just can't seem to solve, thought I'd come here. What's your story?" she asked.

"Hmm, hiding as usual. Been doing a lot of that lately, didn't feel like pretending to be good," Will sighed, closing his eyes and leaning against the trunk of the tree. Minda couldn't help but laugh, making him open his left eye a tiny bit. "Funny?"

"You, pretending to be good? What a thought indeed, like you've got a bad bone in your body."

"Even I get tired of being normal sometimes. It's rare, but…I'm not always good."

"Should a man who thinks about killing people for a living say such things?"

"Probably not but…" Will stood up slightly from the branch he was sitting on and reached out to her, until he was sitting next to her. "Being bad every once in awhile, can be a good thing."

"Careful now, you sound like you're hitting on me."

"I thought that was obvious."

"I should warn you that I tend to bite."

"That's fine, I bite too." Will ran his fingers softly across her cheek before kissing her. Minda's lips were unbearably soft and cold, it made his skin tingle. Her tongue scraped across the cut on his lip, still healing from their last kiss. He still didn't know what Minda was to him but she could pull certain strings in him that he didn't know he had. The two separated and Minda's face was slightly red, a slight blush. He moved her hair to the side and kissed her neck, sucking on it until a small red dot appeared.

"I hate mosquitoes you know," she grumbled, placing her hand on the place of her new kiss mark.

"Buzz buzz," he chuckled. Minda grumbled again and the two looked out from the safety of the tree, not saying a word. Will looked over at Minda, her eyes were focused on the sun that was beginning to set. He did like Minda, that was true, but there was always something nagging at him about her. Like she was an enigma that had taken human form, every breath she took was a mystery, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to look deeper and solve it.

He looked down at his watch. Damn it, he was late again.

* * *

><p>Hannibal was sitting at his desk working on one of his sketches, this time he decided to draw an architectural piece of the Smithsonian. Will was already running late, second time in a row. His mind was already thinking of things that could have distracted him and as much as he hoped a car crash was to blame, his mind only came up with one solution, Minda.<p>

What did she want? She seemed capable enough on her own, so why come here? Why bother him? Why tease him? Why hadn't he killed her yet? That was the biggest mystery, normally she would be dead but she wasn't. Why? Something in his being told him to wait, that as he was now, Minda would defeat him easily. The thought made him angry, like he'd be beaten by her. The tip of his pencil snapped and he froze, looking at the imperfect smudge on his sketch. Staring at it angrily, he could feel his heart and mind turning black feeling something he hadn't felt in eons, not even when he was born. His eyes settled at his door, hurried footsteps, out of breath breathing, and sweat was coming straight at him. The door flew open and Will presented himself.

"Did you run here?" Hannibal asked, not looking up from that smudge on the paper. He picked up the pencil and began to sharpen it, still staring at that grievous smudge.

"Sorry, I lost track of time," Will apologized, collapsing into one of the chairs.

"Jack and Lana have been looking for you. Are you ignoring them Will?" he asked.

"No, I just…I wanted some time to myself and…I got distracted. I'm sorry, I promise it won't happen again. It's just that on the way here I met Minda and…" Whatever was said after was lost, Hannibal didn't hear anything. In that brief moment, there was an absence of sound for Hannibal. The pencil he was sharpening snapped in his hand and he stood up, walking over to Will. He briefly remembered Will looking surprised, rising up from his chair preparing for something of a confrontation. Hannibal couldn't guess why though, Will looked more like a rabbit than a wolf.

He grabbed Will by his chin, lifting him up and breathing him in. His scent, he smelled like her. His breath smelled like her, the taste of her resting on his tongue. Hannibal wanted to erase it.

He crashed their mouth's together, tongue slipping in, tasting Will. It wasn't enough, any resistance Will gave was futile. He grabbed the young man's wrists and held them at bay with one hand, pinned against the wall, his nails digging into the skin, leaving marks. A gasp from Will and Hannibal's tongue dove deeper into that warm space, cleaning him of everything that Minda left behind. He bit down, harshly, and tasted blood. The blood didn't stop him from kissing Will, it only managed to want him to continue, he kept kissing, and biting, another cut on Will's lip to rival the one left by Minda. As the kiss deepened Hannibal pulled Will's shirt down, revealing the tender piece of muscle and bit down, leaving his teeth deeply imprinted on Will's shoulder. A moan escaped from Will and with it, the silence was gone.

Hannibal focused on Will, he had slid to the ground, panting and red faced. Blood dripping from his mouth, the cut on his tongue and lip working together to form a stain on the floor. His head tilted to the side, taking the sight of Will in.

Will wasn't angry, he wasn't in shock, he just sat there on the floor, panting. Then he stood up, fixed his shirt in order to hide the bite mark on his shoulder, slightly hissing as he did.

"I'm sorry I was late," he said, then he hurried out the door. Hannibal watched him leave, not making a single movement, not even when he heard the car start and saw the reflection of the headlights driving away.

The taste of iron lingered on his lips and he licked it off, not worried about what Will might do. He didn't have the personality type for that. He'd probably come again next week, acting like nothing happened. Not many would apologize after getting assaulted. A clap filled the room and Hannibal turned around, staring at Minda who had been watching form the balcony.

"I saw something good," she laughed, her eyes smiling wickedly at Hannibal.

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><p><span><em><strong>AN:**__** Depending on the number of reviews I get depends if there's an update. Though I promise if I get enough there will be M rated sexy times in the next chapter. **_


	7. Taking Advantage

**A/N:** I was so sad because nobody left a review. But I had already written this previously so I'll post it. Whether this gets reviews or not it's whatever. There are indeed sexy times ahead.

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><p><strong>Taking Advantage <strong>

Will rushed to his car, fumbled the keys in the lock, after dropping them twice, and drove off. His mind was a chaotic mess, and the blood from his new cuts only served to make it worse. He was sure that he was driving twenty over the speed limit but since he lived in such a remote area the chances of being stopped were one in a million.

He stopped in his driveway, he could hear the dogs, and he rested his forehead on the steering wheel. Thinking about what had just happened. Hannibal had completely violated him without the act of actual violation. But it was different for Will, he wasn't angry, he wasn't upset. The things that Hannibal did, as little as they were, had made his whole body flood with heat. He looked down at his pants, they were tight with his erection.

That's why he couldn't stay, that's why he drove so fast, he was embarrassed beyond recognition. Humiliated. He'd never been so turned on in his life. He didn't even know why Hannibal had done that, the bite on his shoulder was beginning to sting.

Will took a deep breath and slowly breathed out, lifting himself off the steering wheel and falling back into the seat, hitting the lever that would cause it to recline. He turned off the gas and let the silence speak for him, the dogs had stopped barking, waiting patiently for him to come inside. He let himself stare at the roof of his car and groaned.

Hannibal's tongue was slippery, warm, and wet. The way he controlled it was exactly like a skilled surgeon should, knowing how the muscle moved and the way it ran across Will's tongue…Will stopped, he shouldn't think about it. He knew he shouldn't but…his hand wandered downward, slowly unbuckling his belt, and undoing the buttons then zipper. Will didn't want to think about it but it was all he thought about now.

That tongue of his tracing the inside of Will's mouth like he was hiding a secret. Will found himself placing his fingers in his mouth, licking them and moving them around to give his tongue something to do, trying to recreate the kiss. He thought more about that gorilla like strength Hannibal possessed, pinning him down. Will barely had a chance, if he did it again there was no hope for Will, it was over before it even started.

When Hannibal restrained him and scratched into his skin his tongue moved deeper inside his mouth, still looking for any secrets he might possess. Will kept thinking about it and his hand dived into his underwear, stroking himself as he moaned and remembered. His breath, his strength, his tongue, the way he had grabbed his chin, those eyes that looked at him angrily, and those accursed teeth. Will jolted, letting his thumb press down on the head of his erected cock as his free hand ran across the bite on his shoulder. It was still bleeding, there wasn't any doubt that it would bruise but he pressed down hard on the tender area, making him shiver. He licked his tongue as he began to buck his hips, the blood on his lip and tongue were mixing together, the only thing he could taste was iron.

Hannibal had tasted it too, made him bleed and still kissed him. A tiny little peck was his only warning before Hannibal pulled his shirt down and bit down hard. Will shivered and stilled, looking down at his hand. He hated himself. He hated it, he felt like trash.

There were a million things he should feel, but all he felt was horny. He was surprised, yes, but…he wanted it. He wanted it to hurt the way it did. He remembered what an acquaintance from college had told him once when he was a freshman, that he had to much love to give. He wanted someone to love and wanted someone to love him, that's how his empathy disorder started. What had knocked it into place. The fact that he couldn't stand not loving someone and not being loved.

Will cleaned himself up and walked inside his house. He didn't remember much, not even if he ate, he just went straight into his bed and wrapped himself into the cocooned safety of his sheets. He didn't want to remember college or high school, he didn't want to remember anything.

But he did.

Will knew he was bisexual, it wasn't hard for him to figure that out. If anyone showed him the least amount of interest, girl or boy, he'd reciprocate it. The gender didn't matter to him, he was just excited to have someone to care for. But it was never enough. He always needed more, he just could never figure out what that more was. He didn't mind loving someone deeply but he wanted someone to love him just as deeply. Of course that never went on well with the people he dated, they always felt like he was half-assing it or compensating for to much because he was cheating. Those thoughts either left him with a broken heart or a busted lip (parting gifts from his more aggressive partners).

Will didn't want to go to sleep yet, he let his mind stay awake with his thoughts. It was already seven in the morning. His phone buzzed but he didn't move, to lazy to even cancel his lectures. How many times had it buzzed? What day was it? Had he even attempted to leave this room? Everything felt like one long day to him, did he even send an e-mail to his students. They were smart kids, they'd figure out that he wasn't coming.

He felt dirty and reached for his phone, dialing a number. Despite how he felt there was still something he had to do, a conversation he needed to have before he could address his feelings.

"Morning," the voice said, it felt warm.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Will apologized.

"Not really, I usually get up at about 4:30, it's pretty late in the morning for me. Why, you want to ask me out on a breakfast date?" Will tried to laugh, but when he opened his mouth he choked. His eyes were blurry, he liked Minda, he did but…he hadn't told her about his sexual preferences. The silence must have lasted to long because Minda wasn't waiting for an answer.

"You sick or something? Want me to come over and give you a check up?" she asked.

"No, I'm just feeling a little under the weather. Hey, I know we never talked about this but…are we going out? Dating, I mean." Will held his breath for the answer, if she said no then he wouldn't have to feel so guilty, but if she said yes. Then he deserved something worse than how he felt now. Jerking off to the mere memory of his assault, not even the assault, Hannibal. He had jerked off a second time in the shower when he was trying to get the bite on his shoulder to scab over to no avail and his thoughts and wandered.

"I thought you'd be better at making that judgement call. I like you Will, I really do. But, I'm a bit strange when it comes to sexuality."

"You can tell me…or would you prefer to talk face to face?" Will held his breath again, he didn't want to move, the phone call was already asking to much in the state he was in.

"Nah, it's fine. I got six surgeries today anyway, I'll probably be in the operating room until 2 in the morning. And then I do this hibernation sleep thing when I get back so we might as well have it now before my hands are tied. It's a little weird to say but…I've got no sexual urge to speak of. I guess you could say I'm asexual but if my partner wants to have sex then that's fine with me but it's more of a chore really. Kissing and such is good, but sex is a little…well…annoying."

"So that would mean…"

"Well, if you've got someone you want to sleep with that's fine with me. But not some random street hooker okay? I've treated so many STD vaginas it's a tragedy, it's almost like they don't know what a condom is. I'm not really picky about who you find sexually attractive and you don't have to ask me for approval because that's a bother too. Why? You want to bang somebody?"

"Well, no I…I just…was wondering. Somebody asked about it."

"What somebody?"

"No just, someone noticed the extra bounce in my step I guess. And I…wanted to know what you were looking for. That's why I asked."

"What I'm looking for? As long as you like me I'm fine, you don't have to think about anything other than that. But if you are gonna sleep with someone else don't tell me about it, unless they do something really weird. What were you looking for?"

"I don't know…I just like being with you, that's all."

"Sounds good enough to me. I got to go open up some kids chest so call me in a couple days okay?"

"Okay."

"And stop overthinking things, I'm not some whiny little girl. I'm a doctor, so if you've got some bad news you want to tell me than tell me. I give so much bad news I'm kind of immune to it. You're lucky that I like you so much. I got the mosquito bite to prove it. Bye."

"Bye." Will felt a little better, if he was with Minda, she might be able to give him what he wanted. His shoulder ached, he stood up from his bed and looked at the mirror hanging on his bathroom door. Just like he thought, his shoulder had bruised. He stared at the cut on his lip and groaned when his hand slipped under the sheets. No doubt the first of many.

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><p>Minda hung up the phone and stared at Hannibal, who was currently contemplating his next move. Will had basically disappeared for almost a week, two more days and it would indeed be a week. Alana and Jack had complained to him about it on separate occasions, both concerned. Will had locked himself up in his house, any attempt to talk to him were ignored and even if they did manage to get inside he was locked in his room ignoring them.<p>

"I bet you feel stupid. You went and snapped for no reason at all," Minda gloated. Hannibal glared at her, it was true he had momentarily lost control of his senses but…Will just wouldn't shut up about her. He didn't know why he felt stupid, but it was akin to a child realizing they had thrown a tantrum for no reason, like he wasted time and effort.

"You should probably just sleep with him. Sounds like he's good to go," Minda said. Hannibal glared again, whenever Will had called her she made sure to put him on speaker and answer in front of Hannibal. It felt like she was dangling him in front of Hannibal, like Will was something he couldn't have.

"You figured out which painting you want yet?" Minda asked, changing the subject. Hannibal rose from his desk and went over to his books, opening it and handing it to her. Minda's eyes grew wide with delight.

"Nice one, complicated though. Should be fun getting the supplies together." Minda looked over the painting carefully, counting on her fingers what she would need.

"Why do you do that?" Hannibal asked.

"What? Count?"

"No, push me. What's in it for you to keep on pushing me?"

"Push? You make it sound like I'm some sort of schoolyard bully. You think everything is conducted in a line, but it's not. Textbooks say killers don't have emotions, can't feel anything, but that's wrong. It's always been my thought that the emotions make you better, give you a better picture, takes control to reign them in when you're working though. I hate it when people think they've got everything under control when they don't, I can see they don't."

"High observational skills."

"Observational skills? Please, it's just easy. You can't go on being a serial killer with a reputation in the state you're in now. It makes you weak, sloppy, makes you get caught. And I wouldn't want one of the shining stars to fall down like some pitiable thing."

"You're trying to help me, is that it?"

"Not really, I just want you to keep doing what you're doing. But if you keep dwelling on that face underneath your mask then you're going to fall sooner or later. If you want me out of your hair then hurry up and realize it's there. If you do, then I lose, but if you don't well…you might lose more than the game. Anyway, hurry up and shag Will already, watching you two is like watching some bad soap opera." Minda stated that she was borrowing the book as a reference, promising to return it as she left. Hannibal looked at his appointments, Minda was the only one scheduled for today. He glanced down at his watch, maybe he did owe Will a visit.

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><p>Will was still in his bed, Jack had visited four or five times, pounded his door, and shouted at him through said door. Alana had only come once, she had a spare key and made use of it. She opened the door, let the dogs out, then left, only stating why she was there in the first place and he could talk to her. Will heard a car pulling into the driveway, it was strange for Alana to come back, she must have left something. He closed his eyes and nuzzled back into his sheets, not caring who it was, from the way the door opened he assumed it was Alana.<p>

But his eyes shot wide open when he heard heavy footsteps. He started shaking, had Alana given Jack the key? She wouldn't do that, it was bad enough already that Alana had a key. The door to his room creaked opened and Will buried himself deeper into the sheets.

He didn't want to come out, he wasn't ready to face the world yet. He wasn't ready to face anyone yet.

"Hello Will," Hannibal greeted. Will gasped, frozen solid by Dr. Lecter's voice. He felt the bed dip at the end, Hannibal was sitting next to him. He could smell him lean over him, staring down at him through the sheets. Will wanted to run, get to his bathroom, he could feel himself getting hard. "I said hello Will."

"H-hello Dr. L-Lecter," he cursed, his stutter was back. He heard Hannibal chuckle and felt him lean in closer.

"I can't hear you under all this cloth Will," he said calmly. Will swallowed hard, he slowly moved out of his cocoon, his safety net was deteriorating around him. He wasn't ready for this, he hadn't even prepared a plan of action yet. He pulled the sheets down, making sure that Hannibal could see his face and avoided covering his mouth.

"Hello D-Dr. Lect-ter," he stuttered again, cursing each time he struggled to get the words out.

"We seemed to have parted on bad terms the last time we spoke. I owe you an apology." Will didn't want to meet his eyes and Hannibal knew it, if he had glanced at Hannibal he might have been scared of the face he was making. Hannibal had a perfect sense of smell, and what he smelled on Will was coming off him in waves, fear, shame, and lust. He was like an animal in heat tossed into a pen with unruly males. Hannibal reached out and moved a curl out of Will's face, causing him to go pale and then blush.

"I-It's fine," Will stuttered.

"You're starting to stutter Will. Are you feeling stressed?"

"I-I'm f-fine." Hannibal smirked, he pulled down the sheets that Will was using as some sort of shield and revealed the bite on his shoulder. The bite had scabbed over but the area was bruised. Will was beginning to fidget more than usual, Hannibal's eyes wandered to his legs, he was trying to hide something.

"You'll have to excuse me if I'm not convinced Will. What's the matter?"

"It's nothing!" His stutter was gone but it was replaced with a rage brought on by embarrassment. Hannibal leaned over on top of Will, his arms serving as a cage to keep him still and Will slightly turned his head to look him in the eyes.

"Are you hard?" Hannibal asked. The color that drained from Will's face was enough of an answer. Hannibal harshly yanked the rest of the sheets away and looked down at him. Will in pajamas was not necessarily a bad sight, he slept without a shirt wearing loose bottoms that hung lazily on his sides. And there it was, Will's erection clear as day.

"It's because I just woke up and you came in so suddenly," Will tried to explain, his face reddening.

"We both know that's a lie. I don't take kindly to lying Will. You may lie to anyone else, but not to me. Do you understand?" Will wanted desperately to get away, this was embarrassing but he couldn't, not the way Hannibal loomed over him.

"Y-Yes," he said. Hannibal smiled, his stutter was back, that meant he was docile now but still nervous. Hannibal leaned forward, placing his face at Will's neck, stopping mere centimeters away from touching his skin. He took a deep breath in, smelling him. He smelled like him, woodsy, cheap soap, and animalistic.

"W-What are you doing?" Will asked.

"I can't very well talk to you with that poking at me, so I'll help it go down quicker. Seeing as how I caught you off guard."

"I-I d-don't need any help!"

"Pity that I don't believe you." Hannibal licked Will's neck and what little sense Will had left snapped. Hannibal had pinned his arms again, taken hold of them by the wrist like last time and held them above his head easily. There was no real strength behind it but Will knew that it was more of a warning for him to keep his hands out of his way.

Hannibal licked and sucked every surface of Will's neck that he could reach, listening intently to Will panting. He gently bit down on the side of the tender flesh and took note that Will jolted. He smirked against the tender skin, making a note that Will liked biting if done properly. Once he was sure that enough hickeys had been placed on the lower half of Will's neck Hannibal released his hold on Will's wrists. He paused for a moment, waiting for Will to attempt to hit him or run. Instead he looked at Will's completely red, panting face.

"You know Will," Hannibal began, running his finger across Will's bottom lip. "You're rather cute." He shoved his finger in Will's mouth, moving it around his inner cheeks, the top, and tongue. He added another finger, letting Will's tongue run through the both of them as he pressed them down on the muscle. When he was satisfied he removed the two fingers and wiped them off on the bed. He slowly took off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves. Will watching him intently.

He grabbed Will's chin and crashed their mouths together, putting his full weight on Will. Will moaned and groaned, his legs fidgeting as he tried to tame his neglected erection. Will was a sucker for a good kiss, Hannibal could tell by the way he reacted. He pushed Will down, separating their lips. Will had gotten a bit of drool on him and he licked it off after wiping it away with his finger. He placed his hands under Will's back and lifted him up so that his head was touching the headboard. He joined their lips again but this time let his hands run over Will's chest, rubbing over his nipples and slightly pinching them. Will shivered at this and Hannibal separated again, admiring Will's panting face.

He placed his hand on Will's neck, tracing down from his neck, to his chest, and the hem of his pants. Before he could advance any further, Will had grabbed him, his arms trembling.

"Will, what's the matter?" Hannibal asked. He didn't necessarily care about the answer but whatever got Will talking so that he could continue.

"You don't have to go that far, it's fine. I'll take care of it," Will begged.

"Will, let go of my arm."

"But…"

"Now, Will." Will hesitantly did as he was told and Hannibal shoved his hand downward, making Will gasp and hit his head against the headboard. He found what he was searching for and with his other hand yanked Will's pajama bottoms and underwear down. Once that was done he started kissing Will as he stroked him, pressing down hard on the head. The more pressure Hannibal added the more Will moaned into his mouth, unable to stop himself. Then Hannibal began playing with the tip, lightly touching it with his finger occasionally as he rubbed over his full length, his hand was soaked in pre cum. Will was fidgeting more, moaning more, and groaning more but Hannibal wasn't the least bit amused by it. He sighed, letting go of Will.

"At this rate, you're going to take forever to cum," Hannibal said. He unloosened his tie and positioned himself directly in front of Will.

"W-What…" Will didn't even have a chance to register what was going on before Hannibal yanked the rest of his clothes off, tossing them to the floor, grabbed him by his legs, and pulled him closer.

"Wait a minute," Will said.

"I don't mind if you put your hands in my hair, just don't claw into it."

"I said wai…" Will was cut off again when Hannibal put Will's very neglected cock into his mouth. He licked up the length once, before devouring it whole.

"Hnn." The room was filled with the sound of sucking and moaning. Will's entire body twitched and began to overheat, Hannibal was here in his bedroom, giving him a blowjob, and he could only bite his hand to try and stifle his moans. Hannibal didn't understand why Will wanted to be so quiet with the sounds he made, he did live out in the middle of nowhere.

Hannibal began to fondle his balls, which made Will jump and harshly place one of his hands in his hair. Hannibal bobbed his head up and down a few times before exposing Will's cock to the cold air, making the young man jolt. He licked up the length, still massaging him and gently nipped him. Will groaned, biting his finger and drawing blood in an attempt to quiet himself. Hannibal licked the tip again before plunging the tip of his tongue into the slit, making Will fidget. He took him whole again and it didn't take long for Will. He came with a gasp, not even realizing what had just happened to him.

Hannibal wiped his mouth and sighed, that was more tedious then he wanted it to be but he was pretty sure that if he had tried to finger Will he would have shut down completely.

"Next time you should say something before you cum," Hannibal said, looming over Will, looking down on him. Will couldn't say anything, he was completely red faced, panting, and still traveling down from his bliss.

Hannibal got up from the bed and looked through Will's closets, he found some sheets and quilts, setting them on the edge of the bed. Will had finally crashed down and blinked, unsure what he was supposed to do at this point.

"Get out of the bed, I'm going to clean it. And take a shower," Hannibal said.

"O-okay," Will mumbled.

"I can't hear you when you mumble like that." Hannibal grabbed Will by his chin again and lifted his head upward, so that they could see each other face to face. "Or do you want me to help you?"

"I'm fine!" Will slapped Hannibal's hand away and slammed the door to the bathroom. Hannibal smirked, this day was far from over. He had Will alone and vulnerable, he'd be stupid to give up this opportunity to mold him to his liking. He had planned to wait on manipulating Will but this was much better. He finished cleaning the bed quickly, tossing the discarded sheets on the floor along with the pajama bottoms and underwear. He sat staring at the bathroom door, in about two more minutes he'd decide that Will was taking to long and would need his help.

**A/N: Everything I do is review based. If you like it let me know. I'm not updating unless I get enough feedback. If you follow the story please leave a review. **


	8. Snake Eyes

_**A/N:** _This will be a long chapter, but it read like an episode in my head and all the possible cut offs were not acceptable cliff hangers. Anyway, glad some people reviewed, love it. Also tried to fix some typos but I couldn't copy/paste it and I no longer have the original documents…I'm definitely sorry but I'm gonna try to get those chapters corrected for you.

_**Snake Eyes**_

When the woman awoke she was hanging upside down, the world around her was blurred, something had been done to her eyes, they felt numb. She could hear someone dragging something behind her. She recognized this place, she was in the museum. She was supposed to be home by now, but she came back because she left something and then…

"Awake already? That's surprising, I'm guessing that you must have used drugs previously. Or else you wouldn't be awake so soon. Built up quite a tolerance." The woman tried to open her mouth, her head was spinning and throbbing in pain.

"Don't try to talk, you can't. While you were busy laying unconscious on the floor, I dabbled a bit with your throat. Now if you're a good girl, then I promise, this will go by in no time at all." Minda laughed as the woman tried to get loose in a panic. It was useless, she had been strung up by chains and bound with a wire saw. Minda walked over to something she had stored in three very large boxes. She carefully opened them with her gloved hand and looked down inside.

The box was filled to the brim with snakes. Her eyes lit up as her hand extended downward into the box, pulling out a beautifully colored green snake with large eyes.

"Well, aren't you just the cutest of things," she cooed.

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><p>Will stood in the shower, letting the hot water wash over him. He was in a bit of a daze, he still felt pathetic and ashamed. What was even more vexing was that despite having an orgasm it did little to help ease the heat he felt in his body. Thanks to the phone call from Minda he felt less guilty but he still felt weak somehow. Not once through the whole ordeal had Hannibal reciprocated the feeling, Will felt like a schoolgirl, angry that he couldn't get his partner to get a hard on. He was attractive enough, Hannibal acted more like it was a chore having sex with him. He looked down at his already rising erection. There was no telling how long Hannibal would be cleaning the bed, if he kept quiet enough he could take care of this himself.<p>

"Still energetic I see," Hannibal said. He had pulled the shower curtain away and was staring at Will. The sudden intrusion made Will stumble backward, almost cracking his head open against the tiled wall.

"It's not, I was just…"

"Taking to long," Hannibal interrupted. "It seems you're always in need of my help Will."

Without warning Hannibal pulled Will forward out of the shower, causing him to crash into the man's chest. Hannibal grabbed Will's hair, pulling his head upward forcibly and touched their lips. A small peck before his tongue dived into the other's mouth. Will's legs began shaking and Hannibal slowly slid them to the floor. He positioned Will in between his legs as he kissed him, rubbing and pinching his nipples while his tongue explored Will's mouth. The two separated and Will's forehead rested in the crook of Hannibal's neck, waiting.

Will almost bit his tongue when he felt Hannibal's hands begin to massage his ass. His face went red again, he felt uncomfortable, he couldn't run away this time. Will buried his face in Hannibal's neck, looking down at the man's uninterested member. As Hannibal kept touching him Will slowly undid a few of the buttons to his shirt, licking and sucking at the skin of his neck where his forehead once was.

Hannibal tried his best to contain a laugh and slid a finger over Will's twitching hole. The other man instantly showed how much he was embarrassed by stopping with his attack on Hannibal's neck and burying his face in the man's shoulder.

"I think this might be more effective in getting you to calm down," Hannibal said. It was good that Will wasn't face to face with him, his eyes had turned steely and the smile on his face was sadistic. He didn't give any warning when he shoved a finger into him.

"Ahn!" Was the only noise Will could make as he felt the sudden intrusion. First it was just one finger, then another, and then another, three of them stretching him out and moving inside him. Hannibal pressed down on the bundle of nerves inside him and Will couldn't stop his ejaculation, staining the bathroom floor and parts of Hannibal's suit with his cum. But even then his hardness still wouldn't come down.

"I wonder what else we should do," Hannibal teased. He ran his tongue across Will's cheek, lapping up the tears that ran down them before dipping back into his mouth. He pulled Will's chest up to suck on his overly sensitive nipples, biting harshly on one while he pinched and twisted the other.

"Stop it!" Will pleaded, his head was spinning and the more Hannibal touched the hotter he got. Will was surprised when Hannibal didn't move, all he did was stare at Will, not budging an inch. The only sound was Will's panting. Will looked down at Hannibal, he still looked uninterested.

"You've been looking there a lot lately Will. Care to tell me why?" he asked.

"Because you…you're not even…" Will's face was turning red and he brought his hand up to his forehead to try and wipe away the water that was dripping down his face.

"I just have more self control, unlike yourself." Hannibal brushed his thumb against Will's lips. "Were you expecting something else from me Will?"

Will wasn't good with words and Hannibal knew it, but Hannibal was no longer going to decide how the night was going to end. If he wanted to control Will then he knew that he'd have to want it. Will bit his lip before leaning forward and kissing Hannibal, his tongue running across the other's lip asking for permission. Hannibal let him in, but not so he could guide the kiss, he wanted to distract him. He leaned forward, Will gripping him tight as he laid the young man on the floor. Will wasn't ready to stop kissing, he pulled Hannibal with him as his back hit the floor. He felt Hannibal open his legs wider as he deepened the kiss even more.

"Haahn," Will gasped. He bit his lip, he needed air. While he regained some much needed oxygen, Hannibal had already unbuttoned his pants. Will glanced down, eyes blown wide with lust and slight anxiety. Hannibal sensed his slight distress and grabbed his chin, making him focus on him. He slipped his tongue inside Will's mouth, waiting for him to moan before moving.

Will moaned into the kiss and Hannibal thrusted forward, Will could feel it, just how big Hannibal was. He couldn't stay connected to him any longer, with a gasp he separated, a thin trail of saliva keeping them together. Hannibal sensed that if Will was allowed to think he'd want to stop. Obviously not wanting that to happen, he slammed his full length all the way inside Will, causing the man to whimper.

"You came again," Hannibal pointed out, wiping the cum off of Will's lower abdomen. Will glanced down, his ass was hurting him. Hannibal was bigger than he was used to and stretched him to his limit. He brought his lips to meet Hannibal's and Hannibal slammed into him again. There was no build up for Hannibal, no gentle movements, he slammed into Will mercilessly. He didn't care that Will was whimpering, he didn't care that his eyes were watering, and he didn't care that Will was begging him to slow down or stop. The bathroom was full of the sound of Will's moans, his nails digging into Hannibal's back through his shirt. Hannibal grabbed Will's face and harshly slammed it against the tile floor, exposing his neck. He licked his lips and harshly bit down into Will, who would have screamed in pain if his senses weren't already being overridden by pure pleasure.

"That. Hurts," Will grunted.

"I didn't feel anything," Hannibal smirked. He grabbed Will's sides, adding enough pressure to make sure that it would bruise. He took a single breath and slammed into Will again, without warning making Will release a low guttural sound. A few more thrusts and Will was coming with Hannibal.

"Don't keep moving afterward. You'll stir it up," Will begged.

"It's rather cute when you think I'll listen to you," Hannibal smiled.

* * *

><p>Will woke up covered in bruises, hickeys, and bite marks. He didn't even try to get up because he had no energy to perform the action with, much less his hips were completely useless at this point. He could hear someone moving around in his house but in the state he was in he couldn't do anything about it. He glanced at the clock, it was five in the morning.<p>

"Awake?" Hannibal asked. Will didn't move, he was slightly irritated at him.

"No," he said angrily.

"Why Will, it sounds like you're rather upset with me." Will grumbled and buried his face deeper into the safety of his comforter. Hannibal moved a curl out of Will's face and sat next to him. He glanced into the sheets, his bruises and bite marks visible.

"I told you to stop and you just kept on going," Will complained. "You didn't even listen to me, not in the least."

"I thought it was merely a suggestion."

"Who's the one that's lying now?" Hannibal leaned down and kissed one of the bruises on the back of Will's neck. He actually surprised himself with how much he was able to hold back, but soon, Will would want him to go further, it was only a matter of time. He'd make sure of it. Will fidgeted slightly at the contact, breathing out slowly.

"You should return to work tomorrow Will. Give Jack and Alana a call, they're worried about you," Hannibal said, fixing his tie.

"Your pillow talk is terrible," Will chuckled into the sheets. He was exhausted, he didn't even know how he was keeping himself awake.

"We can further discuss this matter at our next appointment. I trust that you won't be late any longer?"

"I won't be."

"Good, then I will see you in a few days."

"You're just going to leave?"

"Yes, unless you plan to have me do something else. Although, I wouldn't recommend it, you're probably a bit sore."

"Just…never mind, forget it."

"Now how can I forget when you look so dejected?" Hannibal ran a finger over Will's bottom lip. He would have kissed him if Will's phone didn't go off at that very moment. Will grumbled as he reached for his cell, wondering who would bother him so early in the morning, the sun wasn't even up yet. Jack had called him again but instead of trying to contact Will again, he sent him a text with a single phrase: Another crime scene. Will grumbled again, rubbing his head, he was in no condition to go to a crime scene.

"Work?" Hannibal asked.

"Yeah well, crime isn't very respective of my time."

"I'm only wondering if you'll be able to get up and walk with ease."

"I'm pretty sturdy."

"Of course." Hannibal watched Will intently as he slid out of bed. However, as sturdy as Will thought he was the moment he took half a step forward he hit the ground. Hannibal smiled down at him, not exactly trying to stifle his laughter. Will glared in response and tried again, grabbing onto his nightstand for extra support. He begrudgingly got dressed and made a sort of waddle to the door. He looked back at Hannibal, who was staring at him with the amusement of a child.

"What?" he growled.

"You plan to walk like a penguin the entire day?" Hannibal asked.

"Who's fault do you think that is?" If Will could have run he would have, but that was next to impossible. Hannibal offered to drive him to the crime scene but Will quickly denied the help. Not that he needed it, Hannibal just liked watching him fidget. The two went their separate ways, both promising to meet up at Will's next appointment to discuss things further. As Hannibal drove home he stopped in his garage, leaning against the car door as he stepped out. He slightly wished he had been invited to the crime scene, he was interested in what Minda had managed to create.

* * *

><p>Will walked toward the crime scene and was slightly surprised to see the animal control unit there, they were carrying snakes, a lot of snakes. The crime had been committed in a museum, the guard had been killed in the process as well. He stepped inside, following Jimmy until they reached the exhibit. The amount of snakes that littered the floor was awe inspiring.<p>

"Careful not to touch, the little guys are the big and venomous kind," Jimmy warned, as a snake slithered slowly through his legs.

"They're obviously used to human interaction if they're not biting us on site," Will added.

"Up and at it?" Jack asked. He was standing next to Will, who was currently avoiding eye contact at all costs at the moment.

"Everybody needs some me time every once in a while Jack," Will explained.

"Right." Jack shooed everybody out of the room for Will to do his thing. As the last set of footsteps walked away from him Will closed his eyes.

He could hear them, the snakes being released one by one with the greatest of care. The woman wasn't dead yet, she had been chosen carefully, to witness this moment. Her light hazel hair had been dyed a darker brown, like earth, that's why it was still wet. She was hung upside down to dry, vocal cords already severed to not ruin concentration.

Will eyed the security camera in the corner. They were useless, he had nothing to fear. The main generator supplying power to them had already been turned off. Even the back up generator was of no concern, they would find a truck crashed into it, the keys being lifted from the body of the dead security guard.

He had interrupted the scene, for that he earned a punch to the throat and while he was doubled over in pain, a spear lifted from the exhibit straight into the eye piercing the brain. He was dead instantly, but the work wasn't done. With the dagger that had been from the same exhibit, the gut was cut open, intestines hanging out, the blood and meat enticing the snakes and they slithered toward the body.

The woman hanging upside down watched in horror as the bloodied dagger made it's way over to her, finding a place in her neck. The head was separated cleanly with one single stroke. It dropped to the ground with a thud, the snakes slithering toward it.

The separated head was dragged on the ground by the hair, leaving a bloody trail behind it. Now it was time for the makeup. The cornea of the eyes were carefully removed, replaced by the eyes of a snake. Next the head was shaved, but not with an electric razor, with a sharpened knife. The flesh of the head had been cut as well, making spaces to fit the dead bodies of snakes into them. Once they had been sewed in, the head was placed in the center of one of the shields which had been displayed in the center of the room, replacing the ancient greek vase that once stood there.

Will crouched down, to look at the blood on the floor, something had been left behind. He glanced at the body, no longer dripping blood. It wasn't here, it was with the head. With a gloved hand and a set of tweezers he opened the woman's mouth, the tongue had been split like a snake and the teeth had been sharpened to a point with a few of them removed to more resemble the reptile. It wasn't here either.

"Why are you walking funny?" Beverly asked him. Will jumped at the intrusion, the silence in the room now broken. He hated it when she did that.

"What?" Will asked.

"I noticed you walking around like you do and you're walking funny. Sprain something?"

"That's just...I'm looking for something, the killer, left something behind. But I don't know where it was hidden." Beverly stared at the self made Medusa. There was something off about her hair made of snakes.

"It's here, you see these snakes are all the same, but not this one. This inland taipan over here, has two heads, it's the only one with two heads. I'm guessing that she put something in it's mouth. Though just taking it out without the proper equipment and anti-venom on hand would be reckless, we'll have to wait until we get her back to the lab," Beverly said.

"See anything we can use?" Jack asked.

"She might have left us a note or clue behind. But since all these snakes are venomous we should wait until she's back at the lab," Will answered.

"She? So we have a gender, how did you narrow it down?"

"I didn't, I'm just guessing. This feels like a woman, a very smart and strong woman. She was able to cleanly separate the head from the body without so much as stalling. But why is she doing this? Who is she playing with? Just what exactly is her intention with these theatrics?"

"We'll find out sooner or later, glad to see you're back." Jack patted him harshly on the back, making will slightly take a step forward from the force. Jimmy and Brian were busy naming off the different types of venomous snakes that were being carted away while Beverly followed Will out.

"You feeling better?" she asked.

"Is my absence such a large gem of gossip?" Will wondered.

"You can't be as weird as you are without people gossiping, it's unnatural."

"I suppose it is."

"Does it have something to do with the reason you're walking funny?" Will didn't respond, his face immediately went red, he pushed up his glasses and got into his car. Telling Beverly that he'd see her later that day. Beverly smirked as she watched his car go by. She looked down at the notes she had taken, writing down the name of the painting that had inspired the killer this time, _Medusa: Caravaggio_.

_**A/N:** _This was rather long but I wanted it to be long because someone was missing a bit of the gore. I had to have that gore in there. Also thanks to those who left reviews. I didn't mean to make it seem like I'm forcing you to review but how am I supposed to know I'm doing well if you don't? Yeah, yeah, follows/favorites are great but I'm gonna need some words. I don't want an essay, just dropping an awesome would be great. Also…how was that season premiere? Genius, am I right? I don't know what I'm going to do for next chapter...at a complte loss.


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